Traction power systems for electrified railways:evolution,state of the art,and future trends

Traction power systems(TPSs)play a vital role in the operation of electrified railways.The transformation of conventional railway TPSs to novel structures is not only a trend to promote the development of electrified railways toward high-efficiency and resilience but also an inevitable requirement to achieve carbon neutrality target.On the basis of sorting out the power supply structures of conventional AC and DC modes,this paper first reviews the characteristics of the existing TPSs,such as weak power supply flexibility and low-energy efficiency.Furthermore,the power supply structures of various TPSs for future electrified railways are described in detail,which satisfy longer distance,low-carbon,high-efficiency,high-reliability and high-quality power supply requirements.Meanwhile,the application prospects of different traction modes are discussed from both technical and economic aspects.Eventually,this paper introduces the research progress of mixed-system electrified railways and traction power supply technologies without catenary system,speculates on the future development trends and challenges of TPSs and predicts that TPSs will be based on the continuous power supply mode,employing power electronic equipment and intelligent information technology to construct a railway comprehensive energy system with renewable energy.

Pars plana vitrectomy with internal limiting membrane plugging assisted by autologous blood for optic disc pit associated with vitreomacular traction

Dear Editor,We report a case of optic disc pit(ODP)associated with vitreomacular traction which has been successfully treated by a combined technique.We have obtained the written informed consent from the patient,and this case study is in accordance with the tenets of the Declaration of Helsinki.

Research on the longitudinal protection of a through-type cophase traction direct power supply system based on the empirical wavelet transform

This paper proposes a longitudinal protection scheme utilizing empirical wavelet transform(EWT)for a through-type cophase traction direct power supply system,where both sides of a traction network line exhibit a distinctive boundary structure.This approach capitalizes on the boundary’s capacity to attenuate the high-frequency component of fault signals,resulting in a variation in the high-frequency transient energy ratio when faults occur inside or outside the line.During internal line faults,the high-frequency transient energy at the checkpoints located at both ends surpasses that of its neighboring lines.Conversely,for faults external to the line,the energy is lower compared to adjacent lines.EWT is employed to decompose the collected fault current signals,allowing access to the high-frequency transient energy.The longitudinal protection for the traction network line is established based on disparities between both ends of the traction network line and the high-frequency transient energy on either side of the boundary.Moreover,simulation verification through experimental results demonstrates the effectiveness of the proposed protection scheme across various initial fault angles,distances to faults,and fault transition resistances.

Copper-Free Resin-Based Braking Materials:A New Approach for Substituting Copper with Fly-Ash Cenospheres in Composites

Copper particles emitted from braking have become a significant source of environmental pollution.However,copper plays a crucial role in resin-based braking materials.Developing high-performance braking materials without copper has become a significant challenge.In this paper,the resin-based braking materials were filled with flyash cenospheres to develop copper-free braking materials.The effects of fly-ash cenospheres on the physical properties,mechanical and friction and wear properties of braking materials were studied.Furthermore,the wear mechanism of copper-free resin-based braking materials filled with fly-ash cenospheres was discussed.The results indicate that the inclusion of fly-ash cenospheres in the braking materials improved their thermal stability,hardness and impact strength,reduced their density,effectively increased the friction coefficient at medium and high temperatures,and enhanced the heat-fade resistance of the braking materials.The inclusion of fly-ash cenospheres contributed to the formation of surface friction film during the friction process of the braking materials,and facilitated the transition of form from abrasive wear to adhesive wear.At 100-350℃,the friction coefficient of the optimal formulation is in the range of 0.57-0.61,and the wear rate is in the range(0.29-0.65)×10^(-7) cm^(3)·N^(-1)·m^(-1),demonstrating excellent resistance to heat-fade and stability in friction coefficient.This research proposes the use of fly-ash cenospheres as a substitute for environmentally harmful and expensive copper in brake materials,which not only improves the performance of braking materials but also reduces their costs.

Laparoscopic Orchidopexy after 4 Weeks of Testicular Traction with Preservation of Blood Supply: A New Concept for the Treatment of Intra-Abdominal Cryptorchidism: Original Article

Background: Testicular atrophy is recurrent after orchidopexy for intra-abdominal cryptorchidism due to damage to vessels. Fowlers-Stephens and Shehata methods proposed staged orchidopexy, but are still associated to a rate of atrophy greater than 10%. Purpose: We set out to present a new technique that preserves testicular vessels. Our study is aimed at investigating testicular vitality after surgery. Patients and Method: We reviewed files of boys who underwent orchidopexy for 2 years in our department. Those who have been operated for intra-abdominal cryptorchidism with the new technique and aged between 6 months and 14 years old were included in our study. We excluded boys who have been operated before 6 months and after 14 years old and those who did not respect their follow-up plane. Ultrasound (US) outcomes were used to measure testicular volumes and blood flow at each postoperative visit. The Sample population was divided into group A and group B representing testes that were followed respectively for 12 and 24 months. Results: 22 boys with 25 testes were included in our study;11 testes in group A and 14 testes in group B. In each group, we noted a significant difference of UDT volumes from the third month after surgery with respective P-values 0.05. There was no statistical difference between UDT and contra lateral testes volumes 12 months after surgery in group A and 24 months in group B with respective P-values of 0.07 and 0.72. All volume differential indexes were Conclusion: This method offers a new perspective in performing safe orchidopexy for intra abdominal undescended testes.

A Loss-model-based Efficiency Optimization Control Method for Induction Traction System of High-speed Train under Emergency Self-propelled Mode

Increasing attention has been paid to the efficiency improvement of the induction traction system of high-speed trains due to the high demand for energy saving. In emergency self-propelled mode, however, the dc-link voltage and the traction power of the motor are significantly reduced, resulting in decreased traction efficiency due to the low load and low speed operations. Aiming to tackle this problem, a novel efficiency improved control method is introduced to the emergency mode of high-speed train traction system in this paper. In the proposed method, a total loss model of induction motor considering the behaviors of both iron and copper loss is established. An improved iterative algorithm with decreased computational burden is then introduced, resulting in a fast solving of the optimal flux reference for loss minimization at each control period. In addition, considering the parameter variation problem due to the low load and low speed operations, a parameter estimation method is integrated to improve the controller's robustness. The effectiveness of the proposed method on efficiency improvement at low voltage and low load conditions is demonstrated by simulated and experimental results.

Regenerative Braking Energy Recovery System of Metro Train Based on Dual-Mode Power Management

In order to fully utilize the regenerative braking energy of metro trains and stabilize the metro DC traction busbar voltage,a hybrid regenerative braking energy recovery system with a dual-mode power management strategy is proposed.Firstly,the construction of the hybrid regenerative braking energy recovery system is explained.Then,based on the power demand of low-voltage load in metro stations,a dual-mode power management strategy is proposed to allocate the reference power of each system according to the different working conditions,and the control methods of each system are set.Finally,the correctness and effectiveness of the dual-mode strategy are verified through simulation,and the proposed braking energy utilization scheme is compared with other singleform utilization schemes.The results illustrate that the hybrid system with the dual-mode strategy can effectively recycle the regenerative braking energy of metro train and inhibit the busbar voltage fluctuation;the proposed braking energy utilization scheme has certain advantages on energy recovery and DC bus voltage stabilization compared with other single-form schemes;the proposed power management strategy can correctly allocate the reference power of each system with a lower construction cost.

Dynamic Response Impact of Vehicle Braking on Simply Supported Beam Bridges with Corrugated Steel Webs Based on Vehicle-Bridge Coupled Vibration Analysis

A novel approach for analyzing coupled vibrations between vehicles and bridges is presented,taking into account spatiotemporal effects and mechanical phenomena resulting fromvehicle braking.Efficient modeling and solution of bridge vibrations induced by vehicle deceleration are realized using this method.The method’s validity and reliability are substantiated through numerical examples.A simply supported beam bridge with a corrugated steel web is taken as an example and the effects of parameters such as the initial vehicle speed,braking acceleration,braking location,and road surface roughness on the mid-span displacement and impact factor of the bridge are analyzed.The results show that vehicle braking significantly amplifies mid-span displacement and impact factor responses in comparison to uniform vehicular motion across the bridge.Notably,the influence of wheelto-bridge friction forces is of particular significance and cannot be overlooked.When the vehicle initiates braking near the middle of the span,both the mid-span displacement and impact factor of the bridge exhibit substantial increases,further escalating with higher braking acceleration.Under favorable road surface conditions,the midspan displacement and the impact factor during vehicle braking may exceed the design values stipulated by codes.It is important to note that road surface roughness exerts a more pronounced effect on the impact factor of the bridge in comparison to the effects of vehicle braking.

Integrated Active Suspension and Anti-Lock Braking Control for Four-Wheel-Independent-Drive Electric Vehicles

This paper presents an integrated control scheme for enhancing the ride comfort and handling performance of a four-wheel-independent-drive electric vehicle through the coordination of active suspension system(ASS)and anti-lock braking system(ABS).First,a longitudinal-vertical coupled vehicle dynamics model is established by integrating a road input model.Then the coupling mechanisms between longitudinal and vertical vehicle dynamics are analyzed.An ASS-ABS integrated control system is proposed,utilizing an H∞controller for ASS to optimize load transfer effect and a neural network sliding mode control for ABS implementation.Finally,the effectiveness of the proposed control scheme is evaluated through comprehensive tests conducted on a hardware-in-loop(HIL)test platform.The HIL test results demonstrate that the proposed control scheme can significantly improve the braking performance and ride comfort compared to conventional ABS control methods.

Effect of endoscopic full-thickness resection assisted by distal serosal turnover with floss traction for gastric submucosal masses

BACKGROUND Complex and high-risk surgical complications pose pressing challenges in the clinical implementation and advancement of endoscopic full-thickness resection(EFTR).Successful perforation repair under endoscopy,thereby avoiding surgical intervention and postoperative complications such as peritonitis,are pivotal for effective EFTR.AIM To investigate the effectiveness and safety of EFTR assisted by distal serosal inversion under floss traction in gastric submucosal tumors.METHODS A retrospective analysis of patients with gastric and duodenal submucosal tumors treated with EFTR assisted by the distal serosa inversion under dental floss traction from January 2023 to January 2024 was conducted.The total operation time,tumor dissection time,wound closure time,intraoperative bleeding volume,length of hospital stay and incidence of complications were analyzed.RESULTS There were 93 patients,aged 55.1±12.1 years.Complete tumor resection was achieved in all cases,resulting in a 100% success rate.The average total operation time was 67.4±27.0 min,with tumor dissection taking 43.6±20.4 min.Wound closure times varied,with gastric body closure time of 24.5±14.1 min and gastric fundus closure time of 16.6±8.7 min,showing a significant difference(P<0.05).Intraoperative blood loss was 2.3±4.0 mL,and average length of hospital stay was 5.7±1.9 d.There was no secondary perforation after suturing in all cases.The incidence of delayed bleeding was 2.2%,and the incidence of abdominal infection was 3.2%.No patient required other surgical intervention during and after the operation.CONCLUSION Distal serosal inversion under dental-floss-assisted EFTR significantly reduced wound closure time and intraoperative blood loss,making it a viable approach for gastric submucosal tumors.

ISO releases a standard on braking systems of railway vehicles

ISO 24221:2024, Railway applications-Braking system-General requirements, the first of its kind, was recently released. With the leading efforts of National Railway Administration of China, China has made new breakthrough in railway international standardization by the development of the international standard.

Lasting Attraction

High-level opening up and policies to attract foreign direct investment(FDI)were hot topics during the annual sessions of the National People’s Congress(NPC)and the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference(CPPCC)National Committee,China’s key annual political meetings commonly known as Two Sessions.

Wide speed range for traction motor in braking force of electric braking control system

A vehicle stopping method using an electric brake until a traction motor is stopped is studied. At the moment of vehicle stop, electric brake is changed to control mode where torque is reduced at a low speed. Gradient is controlled by estimating the load torque of motor, thereby traction motor is not rotated after stop. In addition, coasting operation and brake test are performed from normal-opposite operation and start using a small-scale model comprising the inertial load equipment and the power converter. Further, traction motor is made to be equipped with a suspension torque. Pure electric braking that makes traction motor stop by an air brake at the time of stop is also implemented. Constant torque range and constant power range are expanded during braking so that braking force is secured with the electric brakes even in high speed region. Therefore, vehicle reduction effect can be expected by reducing parts related with an air brake which is not used frequently by using a pure electric brake in the M car in wide speed region. Further, maintenance of brake system can be reduced. Besides, ride comfort of passenger in the electric rail car, energy efficiency improvement, and noise reduction effect can be additionally expected. Further, an improved brake method that uses only an electric brake till motor stop is proposed by comparing those in the blending brake that uses an air brake while reducing brake torque at vehicle stop.

Device-assisted traction methods in colorectal endoscopic submucosal dissection and options for difficult cases

Endoscopic submucosal dissection(ESD)procedure has a longer procedure time and higher perforation rate than endoscopic mucosal resection owing to technical complications,including a poor field of vision and inadequate tension for the submucosal dissection plane.Various traction devices were developed to secure the visual field and provide adequate tension for the dissection plane.Two randomized controlled trials demonstrated that traction devices reduce colorectal ESD procedure time compared with conventional ESD(C-ESD),but they had limitations,including a single-center fashion.The CONNECT-C trial was the first multicenter randomized controlled trial comparing the C-ESD and traction device-assisted ESD(T-ESD)for colorectal tumors.In the T-ESD,one of the device-assisted traction methods(S-O clip,clip-with-line,and clip pulley)was chosen according to the operator’s discretion.The median ESD procedure time(primary endpoint)was not significantly different between C-ESD and T-ESD.For lesions≥30 mm in diameter or in cases treated by nonexpert operators,the median ESD procedure time tended to be shorter in T-ESD than in C-ESD.Although T-ESD did not reduce ESD procedure time,the CONNECT-C trial results suggest that T-ESD is effective for larger lesions and nonexpert operators in colorectal ESD.Compared with esophageal and gastric ESD,colorectal ESD has some difficulties,including poor endoscope maneuverability,which may be associated with prolonged ESD procedure time.T-ESD may not effectively improve these issues,but a balloon-assisted endoscope and underwater ESD may be promising options and these methods can be combined with T-ESD.

Influence of quick release valve on braking performance and coupler force of heavy haul train

We establish a simulation model based on the theory of air flow to analyze the accelerated release effect of the quick release valve inside the air brake control valve.In addition, the combined simulation system of train air brake system and longitudinal train dynamics is used to analyze how the parameters of the quick release valve in the 120/120–1 brake control valve affect the propagation characteristics of the train brake pipe pressure wave, the release action range of the accelerated brake, and the longitudinal coupler force for a 20,000-ton heavy haul train on the section of the Datong–Qinhuangdao Railway. The results show that the quick release valve can effectively accelerate the rising speed of the train brake pipe pressure during the initial release, as the accelerated release effect is evident before the train brake pipe pressure reaches582 k Pa. The quick release valve can effectively accelerate the release of the rear cars, reducing the longitudinal coupler force impact due to time delay of the release process. The quick release valve can effectively reduce the tensile coupler force in the train by as much as 20% in certain cases.

The effect of controllable train-tail devices on the longitudinal impulse of the combined trains under initial braking

The 20,000-ton combined train running has greatly promoted China’s heavy-haul railway transportation capability. The application of controllable train-tail devices could improve the braking wave of the train and braking synchronism, and alleviate longitudinal impulse.However, the characteristics of the controllable train-tail device such as exhaust area, exhaust duration and exhaust action time are not uniform in practice, and their effects on the longitudinal impulse of the train are not apparent,which is worth studying. In this work, according to the formation of the Datong-Qinhuangdao Railway, the train air brake and longitudinal dynamics simulation system(TABLDSS) is applied to establish a 20,000-ton combined train model with the controllable train-tail device, and the braking characteristics and the longitudinal impulse of the train are calculated synchronously with changing the air exhaust time, exhaust area, and action lag time under initial braking. The results show that the maximum coupler force of the combined train will decrease with the extension of the continuous exhaust time, while the total exhaust time of the controllable train-tail device remains unchanged;the maximum coupler force of the combined train reduces by32.5% with the exhaust area increasing from 70% to 140%;when the lag time between the controllable train-tail device and the master locomotive is more than 1.5 s, the maximum coupler force of the train increases along with the time difference enlargement.

Cooling System Design Optimization of an Enclosed PM Traction Motor for Subway Propulsion Systems

This paper presents the design optimization of a self-circulated ventilation system for an enclosed permanent magnet(PM)traction motor utilized in the propulsion systems for subway trains.In order to analyze accurately the machine's inherent cooling capacity when the train is running,the ambient airflow and the related heat transfer coefficient(HTC)are numerically investigated considering synchronously the bogie installation structure.The machine is preliminary cooled with air ducts set on the motor shell,and the fluidic-thermal field distributions with only the shell air duct cooling are numerically calculated.During simulations,the HTC obtained in the former steps is applied to the external surface of the machine to model the inherent cooling characteristic caused by the train movement.To reduce the temperature rise and thus guarantee the motor's working reliability,an internal self-circulated air cooling system is proposed according to the machine temperature distribution.The air enclosed in the end-caps is driven by the blades mounted on both sides of the rotor core and forms two air circuits to bring the excessive power losses generated in the heating components to cool regions.The fluid flow and temperature rise distributions of the cooling system's structural parameters are further improved by the Taguchi method in order to confirm the efficacy of the internal air cooling system.

A numerical method for the simulation of freight train emergency braking operations based on the UIC braked weight percentage

The present paper shows the development of a strategy for the calculation of the air brake forces of European freight trains. The model is built to upgrade the existing Politecnico di Torino longitudinal train dynamics(LTD) code LTDPoliTo, which was originally unable to account for air brake forces. The proposed model uses an empirical exponential function to calculate the air brake forces during the simulation, while the maximum normal force on the brake friction elements is calculated according to the indication of the vehicle braked weight percentage.Hence, the model does not require to simulate in detail the fluid dynamics in the brake pipe nor to precisely know the main parameters of the braking system mounted on each vehicle. The model parameters are tuned to minimize the difference between the braking distance computed by the LTDPoliTo code and the value prescribed by the UIC544-1 leaflet in emergency braking operations. Simulations are run for different configurations of freight train compositions including a variable number of Shimmns wagons trailed by an E402B locomotive at the head of the train, as suggested in a reference literature paper. The results of the proposed method are in good agreement with the target braking distances calculated according to the international rules.

Braking distance prediction for vehicle consist in low-speed on-sight operation:a Monte Carlo approach

The first and last mile of a railway journey, in both freight and transit applications, constitutes a high effort and is either non-productive(e.g. in the case of depot operations) or highly inefficient(e.g. in industrial railways). These parts are typically managed on-sight, i.e. with no signalling and train protection systems ensuring the freedom of movement. This is possible due to the rather short braking distances of individual vehicles and shunting consists. The present article analyses the braking behaviour of such shunting units. For this purpose, a dedicated model is developed. It is calibrated on published results of brake tests and validated against a high-definition model for lowspeed applications. Based on this model, multiple simulations are executed to obtain a Monte Carlo simulation of the resulting braking distances. Based on the distribution properties and established safety levels, the risk of exceeding certain braking distances is evaluated and maximum braking distances are derived. Together with certain parameters of the system, these can serve in the design and safety assessment of driver assistance systems and automation of these processes.

Blended Regenerative Anti-Lock Braking System and Electronic Wedge Brake Coordinate Control Ensuring Maximal Energy Recovery and Stability of All-Wheel-Motor-Drive Electric Vehicles

ABS is an active safety system which showed a valuable contribution to vehicle safety and stability since it was first introduced. Recently, EVs with in-wheel-motors have drawn increasing attention owing to their greatest advantages. Wheels torques are precisely and swiftly controlled thanks to electric motors and their advanced driving techniques. In this paper, a regenerative-ABS control RABS is proposed for all-in-wheel-motors-drive EVs. The RABS is realized as a pure electronic braking system called brake-by-wire. A coordination strategy is suggested to control RABS compromising three layers. First, wheels slip control takes place, and braking torque is calculated in the higher layer. In the coordinate interlayer, torque is allocated between actuators ensuring maximal energy recovery and vehicle stability. While in the lower layer, actuator control is performed. The RABS effectiveness is validated on a 3-DOF EVSimulink model through two straight-line braking manoeuvres with low and high initial speeds of 50 km/h and 150 km/h, respectively. Both regular and emergency braking manoeuvres are considered with ABS enabled and disabled for comparison. Simulation results showed the high performance of the proposed RABS control in terms of vehicle stability, brake response, stopping distance, and battery re-charging.